'THE TRIAL WAS UNFAIR'

THE appeal of the convicted kidnappers in the Joshlin Smith case exploded into a fierce attack on the Western Cape High Court yesterday, with the defence lawyers saying the trial was unfair.

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The legal representatives are accusing the State of trampling constitutional rights, hiding crucial evidence, and relying on coerced confessions.

Advocate Nobahle Mkabayi, who represents Steveno “Steffie” van Rhyn, came out swinging, telling the bench her client was unlawfully detained for more than 48 hours before his first court appearance on 7 March 2024, a direct breach of his rights.

She said: “This case was compromised from the start. We appeared in court on 31 January 2021 barehanded and clueless, without the contents of the docket. The State knew the attorneys, but details were never furnished before the pretrial.

“The defence received the docket only two weeks before the trial, and even then, it was incomplete.